Thread: Am I wasting my time?

Well, the plane looks complete.
It is a little on the rough side, but you can clean it up.
The mouth is in good shape even if it is a little wide.
You can adjust the frog to take this into account.
The blade looks to be a potentially good one, as long as the part under the cap-iron isn't pitted.
Wolfram Alloy usually refers to Tungsten-steel alloy and should - in theory - be hard wearing and hold a good edge.
There are plenty of "How to fettle a handplane" links on the forum and elsewhere if you are in some doubt about how to proceed.
You have nothing to lose in restoring this one.
As the old saying goes: Suck it and see!
If it turns out to be a real dog, try out the blade in a different plane of the same size. The blade is likely to be the best part of this plane. It is made by German eye brand from Carl Schlieper of Solingen, Germany. Solingen steel has an excellent reputation.
Yours looks like a number 4 sized plane, (2 inch wide blade) so any number 4 or 5 will accept it. Cap-iron may not fit another plane as the hole layout can vary.
Anyhoo - have a go.
Cheers
SG

No, the internet can be useful and informative too and really comes into its' own on a rainy afternoon.




It's hard to judge from a photo......how deep is that rust pitting on the sole?
You might have $10 worth of spares.....

If you are looking to practice rehab and set-up skills on Bailey planes, this looks like a better starting point than some I've seen.

Thanks for your prompt reply.
I've attached some more photos.
Unfortunately the edge of the plane doesn't resemble the classic 25 or 30 degree primary bevel with a nice secondary bevel.
Will too much plane edge have to be removed to achieve a decent edge?

Originally Posted by clogger

Thanks for your prompt reply.
I've attached some more photos.
Unfortunately the edge of the plane doesn't resemble the classic 25 or 30 degree primary bevel with a nice secondary bevel.
Will too much plane edge have to be removed to achieve a decent edge?

Not from the look of it.
Grind the edge square, but only take off enough to square it up.
Then grind a secondary bevel at 30 degrees or so on top of what you have there.
Should work quite well.
SG

Thanks for the advice
If successful with the restoration I''ll post some photos

Look forward to seeing those pics. Good luck with the restoration.

Hmmm.....does the blade fit properly in the plane?......because, at a glance, it looks like a blade from a wood bodied plane.

Originally Posted by seanz

Hmmm.....does the blade fit properly in the plane?......because, at a glance, it looks like a blade from a wood bodied plane.

You could be right.
If the blade is tapered - ie thicker at one end than the other - then probably.
Still, the plane is the same width as the cap-iron.
If it is tapered, it may help fill that largish mouth.
I have looked again at the blade and it appears to have a laminated section at the bottom where the cutting takes place. A good thing is this.
The blade looks to be a very good one and might be the saving of this plane.
Cheers
SG

I have not bothered to look at you pictures, however I have in my shed a PRESTO brand No 4 plane (made in India). I have also not bothered to read any of the posts in this thread. Speaking from personal experience with indian engineering I suggest to you that obtain a large quantity of high explosive (difficult in these terrorism concious times) and blow it off the face of the earth.
If however you seek a less violent solution to your problem you could try Ebay. When you advertise your plane , use words like Rare, Collectable, Antique, Classic, Valuable, Historically significant & family heirloom. I sure you get the picture.
GOOD LUCK WITH RIDDING YOURSELF OF THIS MONKEY ON YOUR BACK.

Sheetmetal

Originally Posted by SHEETMETAL

GOOD LUCK WITH RIDDING YOURSELF OF THIS MONKEY ON YOUR BACK.

Remember to keep the laminated iron (blade) though. If you on-sell it just insert a piece of cheese between the lever-cap and frog, as cheese will be more in keeping with the original iron.

But seriously, you have nothing to loose but your time. Have a go. See if you can get it to perform.

Cheers, Vann.

India is like anywhere else; it produces for the market. If you are lucky it could be for the upmarket. Anyway, as Vann says, you can only lose some of your time and maybe learn something.
Good luck,
Jim

Well I squared off the edge as suggested, managed to flatten the back of the plane blade and put a 27degree microbevel along the edge. Very sharp edge achieved and managed to plane some wood with this plane.
However the sole of the plane has a horrible concave area just behind the mouth and I don't think I have the time or patience to try and flatten this out.
I'll just keep the disassembled parts for spares.

I had an Anat, bought from Bunnies when I needed a plane and didn't have one - it ended up in the bin and the only thing I kept from it were the bolts etc.

I tried to flatten the sole etc., but the frog and everything else were up the creek.

That blade does look like a good one.
The sole appears to have a hollow in front of the mouth as well. That is a royal pain.
I can see why you might want to move on.
Keep the blade though - it will still be good in another body - or you might find an old woodie that it will fit.
This is fun isn't it.
Cheers
SG